Textile waste turns into animal sculptures
British artist Bryony Rose Jennings creates fairy-tale animal figures using scraps of fabric. The artist carefully selects each piece of textile and sews it together until she forms the figure. The result is these whimsical and soulful handmade figurines.
Jennings had been a jewelery designer in the past. About 14 years ago, she and a friend created a patchwork donkey using only waste materials. This intense project ignited a new creative era for Jennings and she has continued to make textile sculptures ever since. Ranging from large dogs to small mice, these soft sculptures vary widely in shape and size. In many cases, Jennings’ inspiration is the materials available. These materials guide her on what kind of figure will emerge.
“I love the feeling of being totally consumed by whatever it is I am working on, it’s easy to lose myself in the process, digging for the perfect piece of fraying fabric for an eyelash or the right leaf print to accentuate an ankle or a haunch,” Jennings tells My Modern Met. “I’m not looking for realism; my work seeks a feeling of life and soul. The animals come into being and they pull me in, there is a turning point with each sculpture I make, a moment when the personality appears and begins to direct its own evolution, it feels a bit like magic.”
Check out Jennings’ great online store here.
